Online Portal Promotes Electric Vehicles

A one-stop IEEE shop for research, news, and all things EV

From developing standards to holding international conferences, IEEE volunteers are working hard to get electric vehicles on the road. Now their efforts are on display at the new IEEE Transportation Electrification (TE) Web portal—a one-stop shop for academic research, news, and IEEE activities related to EVs.

The website houses IEEE technical articles related to electric transportation as well as news on technical developments around the world. The site is aimed at people who want to stay current with advances in clean, energy-efficient transportation.

THE BIG PICTURE Launched in April, the website is part of the IEEE Transportation Electrification Initiative. Created by the IEEE Future Directions Committee, the initiative aims to accelerate the development and implementation of new EV technologies.

But the portal doesn’t just promote electric cars—it covers all kinds of electrified transportation including utility, off-road, and underwater vehicles, trains, planes, and ships.

Among the EVs is the BYD electric bus, which is powered by a ferrous battery. Developed by Build Your Dreams Auto Co., of Shenzhen, China, the bus can run for 250 kilometers in a stop-and-go urban environment on a single charge, more than enough for daily public transportation. Solar cells atop the 12-meter-long bus provide backup power to the battery, whose chemical components can be recycled. Visit the TE Web portal for more information.

Another event on the website’s calendar is the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, to be held in Raleigh, N.C., in September. It will cover such areas as automotive power trains, transportation propulsion systems, and electrical distribution and transmission systems for EVs. The event also is expected to tackle energy conservation, carbon emission reduction, and electric transportation’s potential impact on the smart grid.

EYE ON STANDARDS The TE Web portal provides updates on EV and smart-grid IEEE standards. For example, you can learn about the IEEE P2030.1 Draft Guide for Electric-Sourced Transportation Infrastructure, which is being written to help electric utilities plan the most economical ways to support increasing transportation loads.

Not only does the portal highlight the work of the IEEE Standards Association, it also spotlights IEEE societies and their involvement with developing sustainable EV technology.

“It’s not just the battery or motor that IEEE has worked on—every vehicle contains thousands of elements that depend on IEEE fields of expertise,” says Lee Stogner, cochair of the IEEE Technology Electrification Initiative.